Investigators have identified two of the victims who died in a fatal Interstate 5 traffic collision Friday as 18-year-old Audrey Barba, of Palmdale, and 49-year-old Antoine Kendrick, whose city of residence is still unknown, according to Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
First responders were notified of the collision at approximately 3:30 a.m. Friday and were called to the scene on the northbound side of the I-5 transition to Highway 14.
CHP investigators have said they believe the collision occurred after a 1998 Honda, occupied by Kendrick and an unidentified 49-year-old passenger from Long Beach, was seen driving in the wrong direction on the I-5 freeway.
At approximately 3:21 a.m., the southbound-heading Honda collided with a northbound-heading 2017 Ford Mustang carrying Barba and another unidentified victim. The two women’s vehicle was then sent onto the southbound side, colliding with a 2001 Chevrolet and its sole occupant.
Both Kendrick and the other Honda passenger were pronounced dead on arrival by officials on the scene. Barba and her driver sustained major injuries and were transported to a local area hospital. The 18-year-old Palmdale woman was pronounced deceased once she arrived at the hospital and the status of her driver is unknown at this time, according to the CHP incident report.
The unidentified driver of the Chevrolet sustained minor injuries and was later released from the hospital the same day.
After issuing a Sig-Alert that lasted three hours, and closed off access to Highway 14 from the northbound side of the I-5 transition, in order to conduct their investigation, CHP officials have stated that they believe alcohol and/or drugs were a suspected factor in the collision, according to their report.
In total, the early morning wrong way crash resulted in the deaths of three individuals, and injuries to two others.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Officer Sanchez at the Newhall CHP Office at 661-294-5540.
